1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to damper systems, and more specifically, to damper systems for aircraft.
2. Description of Related Art
Dampers are well known in the art for effectively dampening adverse forces exerted on a structure. Rotary aircraft utilize dampers to dampen forces, e.g., lead/lag forces, exerted on the components of the rotor system via the rotor blades during flight. The dampers are typically manufactured with one or more elastomeric materials that are configured to dampen the forces. In some embodiments, the dampers could utilizes a plurality of fluid chamber in communication with each other, wherein movement of the damper means disposed within the damper causes the fluid carried within the chambers to pass through a common passage, which in turn dampens the adverse forces.
It should be understood that rotary aircraft must undergo preflight preparations to “warm” the dampers prior to flight. Current methods to prepare the dampers for flight include operating the aircraft at non-flight conditions. The process exhausts considerable time, resulting in significant costs.
Another problem associated with conventional dampers is the inability to change the spring rate of the damper in real time. For example, the aircraft operates at various flight conditions, which affects the damper's performance. In some cases, it is possible to fly outside the designed damper spring rate, thus greatly reducing the efficiency of the damper.
Although the foregoing developments in dampers represent great strides, many shortcomings remain.
While the system and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.